Developmental Biology

Catalog description

The purpose of this course is to introduces students to the principles that govern the development of a single fertilized egg cell into a complex multicellular organism. These principles, and often the molecular mechanisms by which they are accomplished, appear to be universal for all multicellular organisms including both plants and animals. We will explore issues such as: how cells become committed to particular cell fates and how this commitment is maintained; how organs acquire particular shapes, sizes and positions; the developmental causes of some human diseases; how the environment affects development; and, how changes in development provide the material basis for evolutionary change.